Read about Gary Priore ’10 New York Beard & Co. who attended Suffolk County Community College and took classes in Entrepreneurship.

Natural ingredients

Ronkonkoma resident Gary Priore said he hated how greasy most men’s grooming products made his beard look and feel, so earlier this year he set out to make his own.

The 33-year-old, who works at a medical diagnostics company, went online to research “do-it-yourself” beard-balm-making methods and started experimenting with his own formulas.

Then in February he enlisted the help of his cousin, Robert Keil, and opened New York Beard & Co.

Priore now sells beard balm in four scents, including Long Island Classic, which contains vanilla and mint, and Uptown Funk, which features notes of patchouli and lemon, on his company website, nybeardco.com and at Long Island farmers’ markets.

Beard-balm tins, a little wider than a quarter, cost $5, and larger ones, about as wide as the palm of a hand, cost $15.

Priore uses a slow cooker and a hot plate to mix and melt ingredients at home and says the process of making one batch, which fills about 150 containers, takes about six hours.

“I don’t use dyes or artificial ingredients, only beeswax, natural butters and essential oils,” he said. Priore recently made a deal with Lunabee Apiary in South Setauket to source beeswax for his balm.

“Being able to offer a product that’s as organic and natural as possible is important to me because I feel that’s our niche, it’s what sets us apart from larger producers,” he said.

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Listen, above, to automotive industry representatives speak about the program at Suffolk County Community College, On December 6 Suffolk County Community College sponsored a career fair attended by nearly three-dozen representatives from 200 individual Long Island Automotive employers.

Suffolk County Community College has, for nearly 30 years, been the leader in preparing the most qualified for certified automotive technicians.

Suffolk County Community College offers an A.A.S. degree in Automotive Technology that is National Automotive Technician’s Education Foundation (NATEF) certified and designed to prepare students for employment as automobile technicians and professionals at automotive service facilities.

Suffolk offers four separate automotive programs that includes academic classes and automotive classes that fulfill the requirements to obtain an A.A.S. degree.

The programs offered are the Honda PACT program, the Toyota T-TEN program, the General Motors ASEP program, and the General Automotive ATAC I & ATAC II programs. Subaru was added to the program last year.

“Automobiles are more technically advanced than ever creating an increasing need for highly skilled technicians,” said Suffolk County Community College President Shaun L. McKay who added that the U.S.Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the number of qualified technicians needed nationwide will rise to approximately 780,000 by the year 2024, representing a 5% year-over-year increase in demand.

“Our students, as we continue to build our program, will be qualified to work in any dealership in the region,” McKay said. ‘We will be the premier training facility in the tristate region.”

SUBJECT: New Online Career Portal- Purple Briefcase – Launched at the College

The Office of Career Services is proud to announce the availability of Purple Briefcase. This online career platform allows employers to connect with Suffolk’s students and alumni as they search for career and internship opportunities. It also offers an extensive range of support services like career chat, videos, networking tips and other tools to help students and alumni that are engaged in the job search process. In alignment with Institutional Goal #1-Student Success, this is an advanced career networking and planning tool that will support individuals in finding a great position that will further develop their skills and work experience.

Purple Briefcase will be an important resource for information about career-related events and career exploration tools. Students will be able to develop individual profiles focused on their interests, skills, and career aspirations. The profile will also serve as their online resume for potential employers. Most importantly, Purple Briefcase is the main platform that the College will now use to post internships, job opportunities, and other important career information. We encourage everyone to visit the new site and learn more at www.sunysuffolk.edu/purplebriefcase.

For further information on how you may use this program and integrate this tool as part of your courses with our students, please do not hesitate to contact Tania Velazquez ’96, College Director for Career Services, at velazqt@sunysuffolk.edu.

Want to volunteer to help student and alumni with career success? Contact us

Support for the development/production of this material was provided by a grant under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 administered by the New York State Education Department.

Suffolk County Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, marital status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, familial status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristics, equal pay compensation-sex, national origin, military or veteran status, domestic violence victim status, criminal conviction or disability in its admissions, programs and activities, or employment. For more information, including procedures and contact information for making a complaint, see: http://www.sunysuffolk.edu/nondiscrimination.

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The Hotel and Resort Management program at Suffolk County Community College, strategically situated in Riverhead, is tailor-made to prepare students for rewarding careers in this booming industry….

Frederick Hansley graduated from the program in 2012 and was able to land a job right away at the Residence Inn in Holtsville as a result of connections made through the College’s job fair. Now, as the General Manager of the Hampton Inn in Islandia, N.Y., he reflects fondly about his education at Suffolk. “The professors have real-world backgrounds and I appreciated how the program is designed to provide hands-on experience for students,” he says.

Read the full article online at Suffolk County Community College Career Focus

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Presented by Suffolk County Community College’s Office of Workforce and Economic Development, this free event will explore the importance and impact that women have in a wide range of manufacturing and manufacturing-related industries and how STEM education can support further growth in these industries.

The development of this document was funded completely by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration for $2,949,137 to Suffolk County Community College, and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership.

Time

Activity

9:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.

Welcome and Introduction of Guests
Remarks by Suffolk’s Office of Workforce and Economic Development Associate Vice President John Lombardo
Remarks by Suffolk President Dr. Shaun L. McKay

Panel discussion features a Q & A with a wide range of leaders from regional industries, including food service manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, clothing and design, wine and spirits, aerospace and defense, and electronics.

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Exhibitions including robotics demonstrations and STEM project displays. In addition, various companies will be showcasing core products. Exhibitor space is free but you must sign up in advance. Please call 631-851-6200 for details.

Gently used men’s and women’s business clothing and accessories will be accepted on the above days in the lobby of the Babylon Student Center.

This year all clothing will once again be donated to the Career Couture Boutique at the Suffolk County Department of Labor. Career Couture is located at the Suffolk County One-Stop Employment Center and offers both men and women proper business attire for upcoming interviews and job fairs at no charge. With the proper attire, most individuals will have a better opportunity of obtaining their next job.

Career Couture is in need of suits, blazers, blouses, pants, skirts and accessories such as shoes, purses, scarves, ties and jewelry. Donations should be business appropriate, clean and current (no more than 3 years old). All donations are 100% tax deductible.

Thanks to all of you, our previous drives were all a tremendous success. I hope that we can be just as successful again this year.